Myanmar’s government yesterday said it has evacuated at least 4,000 non-Muslim villagers amid ongoing clashes in northwestern Rakhine State, as thousands more Rohingya Muslims sought to flee across the border to Bangladesh.
The death toll from the violence that erupted on Friday with coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents has climbed to 104, the majority militants, plus 12 members of security forces and several civilians, according to a Reuters tally based on official releases.
The government said it was investigating whether members of international aid groups had been involved in an alleged siege by the insurgents.
Photo: AFP
Bracing for more violence, thousands of Rohingya attempted to ford the Naf River separating Myanmar and Bangladesh and the land border. Reporters at the border heard gunfire from the Burmese side, which triggered a rush of Rohingya toward the no-man’s land between the countries.
About 2,000 people have crossed into Bangladesh since Friday, Rohingya refugees said.
The International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think tank, criticized the government for not moving “quickly or decisively enough” to remedy policy failures that were leading some Muslims to take up violence.
Some observers worry that the latest attacks represent a “breaking point” many Rohingya have reached with the help of insurgent leader Ata Ullah.
The government said it might take action against media calling the group “insurgents” and not “terrorists” as per the government’s designation.
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